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Times Mirror taps Rooney to guide relaunch of magazine under new title
Michael rooney is undertaking a $5 million remodeling job.
This week, the group publisher of Times Mirror Magazines' Field & Stream and Outdoor Life tacks on responsibility for Today's Homeowner.
The magazine, a relaunch of Home Mechanix, is in need of repair. Published 10 times a year with a rate base of 1 million, the 68-year-old publication has been flat in circulation and advertising for most of the 1990s. Still, Mr. Rooney sees great potential.
SEEING A `HUGE MARKET'
"There is a huge market," he said, "between the do-it-yourself books, which are almost entirely male-oriented, and the shelter books, which are almost entirely female-oriented."
The name change comes in September, the same month Hearst Magazines launches a test of Bob Vila's American Home.
Mr. Rooney hopes to boost newsstand sales and bring in more women and younger readers through a sweeping redesign from leading designers Milton Glaser and Walter Bernard.
"We think there is an opportunity to grow in circulation and ad revenue," he said.
Last year, during a relatively strong year for consumer magazines, ad pages for Home Mechanix grew just 3.2% to 529.5.
In the past, single-copy sales were almost non-existent--16,740 for the six-month period ended Dec. 31, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Total circulation for the period was virtually flat at 1.01 million, up 1.5% from the same period a year earlier.
Times Mirror is close to finalizing an agreement to distribute 1 million of the redesigned magazines at displays in a major home center retail chain.
Early advertiser reaction to the redesign is positive.
"I think it's brilliant," said Thomas Eppes, president of Price/McNabb, Charlotte, N.C. "I think the old name gave readers a greasy-hand kind of feel. Today, there are a lot more women involved in home improvement decisions."
Andy Ginger, Craftsman brand manager for Sears, Roebuck & Co., agreed: "I think they're targeting the right people--the serious do-it-yourselfer and the homeowner in general."
To support the September relaunch, Times Mirror will run page ads, created in-house, in USA Today in November.
Mr. Rooney, 43, a noted turnaround specialist, took Rodale Press' Men's Health from a niche title to a hugely successful mainstream magazine and brought Discover back to life after Walt Disney Co. acquired it in 1991.
But this turnaround may prove more difficult. Times Mirror's corporate edict has been for 12% profit, and traditionally the magazine unit has been underperforming on that front. Former Times Mirror executives say Home Mechanix was marginally profitable under former Publisher John Crawley, who resigned last year. John Young is the current publisher.
Jason Klein, a senior VP of the magazine unit, insisted the parent company is investing in Home Mechanix for future growth and has no intention of selling it or any other titles.
Copyright July 1996 Crain Communications Inc.


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One surprising digital dollar asset had a great 2022, and it wasn’t cryptocurrency.
While the past year saw the value of the crypto market shrink to $1.4 trillion from its 2021 high of $3 trillion, governments around the world increasingly experimented with a different form of digital money — a national legal tender.
Perhaps fearing that the future of money might pass them by, the central banks of 114 countries have this past year been undertaking a variety of investigative programs researching, and even acting out, the feasibility of issuing sovereign, virtual currencies backed by a federal banking system.
As of December 2022, all G7 economies have now moved into the development stage of a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Money Isn’t Paper Anymore
A CBDC is electronic, rather than physical, money backed and issued by a sovereign nation.
Compared to cryptocurrency tokens, which are stored-value digital assets, CBDCs act as true legal tender.
As reported by PYMNTS, a recent multi-year project from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Digital Currency Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has proven the technical feasibility of a U.S. CBDC.
Further findings from the project will be released at the start of 2023.
Separately, the New York Federal Reserve is conducting a “watershed” digital currency project with a consortium of leading commercial financial institutions, including BNY Mellon, Citi, HSBC, Mastercard, PNC Bank, Truist, U.S. Bank, TD Bank and Wells Fargo.
“We strongly concur with the Federal Reserve’s view that — provided the creation of a CBDC is determined to be warranted — an intermediated (two-tier) distribution model is preferable for the needs of the U.S. economy, as it preserves the role of financial intermediaries and payment service providers, while utilizing existing resources,” Mastercard, a participant in the New York project, said in a public statement.
Digitally holding and transferring money is nothing new for consumers or businesses, both of whom have relied on bank accounts, online transactions, and payment apps for years.
However, the forms of money used in those digital transactions are generally the liabilities of commercial banks and other private entities.
A CBDC issued digital dollar would instead be a liability of the Federal Reserve, just as paper currency is.
The benefits offered by a CBDC include hyper-rapid settlement speed and a far greater transaction volume processing compared to most of the options available today, including settlements across both bitcoin and ethereum blockchains.
The Boston Fed’s research established a technical baseline for CBDC transactions of between 170,000 and 1.7 million transactions per second. The project was able to bring nearly all transactions (99%) successfully to completion in under five seconds.
Observers of the trial said this highly efficient “real-time” settlement speed could revolutionize both money and payments.
Personal Freedom and Economic Liberty
In March 2022, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that called for American leadership in exploring CBDC possibilities.
Despite this presidential show of support, the Federal Reserve’s CBDC initiatives are running into controversy on Capitol Hill.
Whereas bitcoin, the best known and most widely held cryptocurrency, is a politically neutral monetary system whose decentralized, peer-to-peer nature prohibits identity tracking and collects no personal information, CBDCs on the other hand are viewed by some as representing the opposite of crypto’s “freedoms” due to their implicit governmental ties.
This has led to growing fears among some observers that the Federal Reserve could use CBDCs to collect personal information on citizens, and in turn leverage those digital dollar transactions as a surveillance tool to track certain individuals or subsets of the population, even going so far as to freeze accounts or disallow for certain purchases.
As a result of these concerns, Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer, the ranking Republican on the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, introduced a bill prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC directly to individuals.
The proposed legislation was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where it awaits further action.
Emmer has not replied to a request by PYMNTS for comment.
At a time when a cocoa farmer in Central America can digitally communicate in real time with wholesale and retail customers around the world, it may seem archaic to keep moving money through systems and infrastructure designed for the paper money era.
Eleven countries have already launched their own digital currencies into circulation, including the Bahamas, Jamaica and Nigeria.
The U.S. Fed’s feasibility projects, both those completed and still in-progress, have indicated, using clear language, that they are “policy agnostic” and meant just to explore any potential benefits and risks of CBDCS, not to influence legislation.
In a comment to PYMNTS earlier this month, a Boston Fed spokesperson underscored that their work researching CBDCs was “purely academic.”
The Federal Reserve has made no decision on whether to pursue, much less implement, a CBDC and it remains to be seen whether that stoic stance will change in 2023.
For all PYMNTS cryptocurrency coverage, subscribe to the daily Crypto Newsletter.

domain: news


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"Halo 4" is a huge hit with gamers.
In the first 24 hours of its release, the game racked up sales of more than 220 million dollars around the world.
Think about it this way.
Last Tuesday's opening beat the record for the biggest one-day opening in U-S box office history, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2."
"Halo 4" was developed exclusively for Microsoft's X-box 360.


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In the past years, the world as we know it has suffered various changes. The political, economic and social environment are more and more different, not to mention the technical one. Technology is one of the most dynamic fields there are and its evolution is its only constant. With the first quarter of 2017 already gone, new tendencies are announced by experts. It seems that „innovation” is the word dominating tech trends at the moment and this will continue to shape and create paradigms in the way we communicate, shop, work and do business. Last year, we participated in the development of artificial intelligence, augmented reality or machine learning. These being said, there seems to be no surprise left for 2017. This is wrong – to prove this point, here are some directions and trends to keep an eye on this year:
Digital technology platforms
Taking into consideration that our lives are becoming more and more digital, not only individuals, but also businesses, must become aware of their digital presence and the possibilities this brings. When it comes to the corporate environment, it has been proven with good case practices that digitalizing a business means an increase of popularity, sales and turnover. Needless to say, in 2017, the winners will be those who choose to invest in digital technology platforms that can streamline their business. Among these, the most popular solutions are dedicated to customer experience, analytics, security and operations. A platform that is on point will help companies face their daily challenges, while also increasing productivity and efficiency.
BI and big data
For companies that have to manage great amounts of data, business intelligence and analytics solutions have become a mandatory tool. Make sure you do not mistake the two terms: while big data gives you access to information you did not know you had, business intelligence helps you find answers, identify patterns and solve corporate issues. This is possible by the means of a user friendly dashboard, which makes data visualization available even for those who have limited technical skills. Nowadays, all multinationals base their investments, strategies and even internal operations on concrete data gathered from many sources, and this can only be done, accurately, using a professional BI tool. For this reason, the demand for data management is estimated to grow considerably and constantly in the upcoming months.
In 2016, Artificial Intelligence has managed to become an important sector in the field of technology, and this will not chance in the month to follow. As a consequence, experts forecast a boom in terms of intelligence applications, both for personal and business use. Some of the most popular such apps fall in the category of virtual personal assistant software, since they provide users with concrete benefits, easing their day to day activity. Healthcare, automotive and software are only some of the domains where this kind of digital tools are extremely useful and they will definitely become the value proposition businesses need.


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News tagged ‘dropbox’
Thursday, 31 Jan 2013
Dropbox recently gave a preview on what to expect from its service in 2013. The new features shown, will place emphasis on how a user's content will be displayed instead. This signals Dropbox's desire of being more than just a storage locker in the cloud.
Thursday, 6 Dec 2012
The Android app for Dropbox gets updated to version 2.2.2, which includes the ability to manage your files in addition to the usual bug fixes and performance boost.
Monday, 3 Sep 2012
Evidence of the alleged Samsung's cloud storage service, S Cloud appears in a hands-on video of the Galaxy Note II.
Friday, 31 Aug 2012
Following in the tradition of the Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung and Dropbox have both confirmed that the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy camera will comes with 50GB of free storage for two years.
Thursday, 30 Aug 2012
HTC launched a new Android smartphone, the Desire X.
Wednesday, 29 Aug 2012
Microsoft released the official SkyDrive app for Android devices.
Thursday, 2 Aug 2012
Popular cloud-storage service, Dropbox, suffered a security breach recently when hackers absconded with users' email addresses and passwords linked to their Dropbox accounts.
Friday, 27 Apr 2012
Dropbox now enables automatic uploading of photos and videos from any camera, tablet, SD card or smartphone on Windows and Mac. You earn 500MB extra storage space for your first automatic upload and up to 3GB extra for subsequent uploads.
Wednesday, 25 Apr 2012
SingTel's Store and Share, Singapore's first cloud storage service, will offer consumers up to 10GB of free online storage for their documents and multimedia content. The app is available on the iOS and Android platforms.
Google hops onto the cloud storage bandwagon with Google Drive, which offers 5GB free storage and supports over 30 types of documents including Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. It is available now for PC, Mac and Android, and will come soon to the iPhone and iPad.


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More Google Assistant-powered devices are coming our way. DISH is joining the smart home frenzy by announcing that it will take advantage of the virtual voice assistant to control the television through a DISH voice remote, smartphone, or smart speaker. If you use a Hopper DVR, Joey client, or Wally single-tuner HD receiver, you can simply voice out commands and say “Hey Google, do this or do that” and the Google Assistant will do the work for you.
You can talk in either English or Spanish and other languages soon. DISH made it possible so more customers can use the Google Assistant to do many things for them and not just control their smart TVs. DISH teamed up with Google to use the smart assistant on their products to put forward the smart home and hands-free TV experience.
DISH customers can soon use the service to control their TV viewing experience straight from their Android smartphone or Google Home. Feel to navigate the user interface, search content, play, pause, rewind, or fast-forward a video. Search content by genre, actor, or title by simply saying the voice commands.
Listed below are samples you can ask the Google Assistant to do:
● “Change channel to ESPN”
● “Go to the History Channel”
● “Find the Big Bang Theory”
● “Search for Game of Thrones”
● “Search for home improvement shows”
● “Show me Tom Hanks movies”
● “Skip forward”
● “Tune to channel 130”
● “Play This is Us”
● “Rewind 30 seconds”


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Atruchecks to provide antibody testing to companies across the UK
Laween Al-Atroshi, chief executive of Atrumed, recently informed The Parliamentary Review that Atrumed’s new startup sister company, Atruchecks, would seek to supply new Covid-19 antibody tests at cost price to anyone in the UK, in an effort to bolster the government’s efforts in ramping up testing. Now, keen to help reinvigorate the economy, Atruchecks has launched its corporate antibody test package in order to support businesses as they reopen by providing antibody testing to staff.
In Al-Atroshi’s view, making antibody testing accessible to corporate organisations will not only form a vital part of the government’s exit strategy by ascertaining who may now be immune to Covid-19, but it will also be integral in easing anxiety over returning to work.
Al-Atroshi said: “Antibody testing for corporate organisations is essential in removing anxiety and the trauma caused by Covid-19 to date. It means that we can slowly restart the economy. It is true that little is known about the virus still, but we must innovate if we are to succeed against this disease.”
Since launching its corporate package, Atruchecks has already been contacted by major UK firms ranging from the construction industry to media, right through to blue chip companies, who are looking to roll out antibody testing for employees.
Al-Atroshi said: “It is true that there has already been a lot of interest in this. Furthermore, embassies and missions have also reached out to us.
“We are determined to provide industry specific, affordable, bespoke packages to corporate organisations that are eager to restart and are an essential fabric in rebuilding the economy.”
Atruchecks is working in tandem with UKAS laboratories to offer a range of tests, including those developed by US firm Abbott Laboratories and German conglomerate Siemens. Al-Atroshi indicated that his firm would also look to make the tests developed by Swiss firm Roche available in the near future.
He said: “A strong economy is in everyone’s interest, and a healthy workforce means a healthy recovery.
“To help support our efforts, we have a dedicated blood collection location just off Harley Street, strategically located in the heart of London, to ensure that our teams can support wider testing for our corporate clients.”
To find more information please visit www.atruchecks.com


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Wearable sensors are growing in use among humans due to their precise biometric measurements and easy to wear from watches to devices. Now, Scientists successfully developed new wearables sensors that can be printed on human skin directly without burning the skin during the process.
A team led by Huanyu Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in the Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, with the use of a novel sintering aid layer, developed direct printing for on-body sensors.
Typically, manufacturing wearable circuits with flexible sensors or devices requires a lot of heat. Now, scientists developed a method to fabricate them at room temperature in their study. With the new technology, it will be helpful to develop new medical sensors for medical patients with a much better fit and precision.
“A universal fabrication scheme to enable printing and room-temperature sintering of the metal nanoparticle on paper/fabric for FPCBs and directly on the human skin for on-body sensors with a novel sintering aid layer. Consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) paste and nano additives in the water, the sintering aid layer reduces the sintering temperature,” as described in the study published
“Together with the significantly decreased surface roughness, it allows for the integration of a submicron-thick conductive pattern with enhanced electromechanical performance. Various on-body sensors integrated with an FPCB to detect health conditions illustrate a system-level example,” the study added further.
Sintering aid layer
The same developed flexible printed circuit boards that can be used in wearable sensors. However, printing directly on hand had its complications among which the heat levels at which printing happens has been the main challenge.
The bonding process for metallic components in the sensor known as sintering typically happens at a temperature of around 300-degree celsius. Skin layer cannot withstand such high heat levels. The team proposed a sintering aid layer, which can protect skin and help the material sinter at lower temperatures.
“To get around this limitation, we proposed a sintering aid layer — something that would not hurt the skin and could help the material sinter together at a lower temperature,” said Huanyu Cheng to ScienceDaily.
How’s the layer made?
The sintering aid layer for generating room temperature consists of polyvinyl alcohol paste, peelable face masks ingredients, and calcium carbonate. The layer helps in reducing printing surface roughness and allows an ultrathin layer of a metal pattern. The patterns can be needed and folded while maintaining electromechanical capabilities.
Once the sensor is printed, researchers use an air blower like a hairdryer set on a cool mode to remove the water that was used as a solvent in the ink. “The outcome is profound, we don’t need to rely on heat to sinter,” Cheng said.
Environment friendly and removable
The device printed is environmentally friendly as it can be recycled claims the head scientist of the team. The sensor will stay on the hands during the use of tepid water, but a hot shower can remove it easily.
The removal of the sensor doesn’t damage the skin of people. This is very important considering the fact that many have sensitive skin like babies and elders. The team will now focus on altering the technology to target specific applications.
“It could be recycled since removal doesn’t damage the device,” “And, importantly, removal doesn’t damage the skin, either. The device can be useful without being an extra burden on the person using it or to the environment,” added Cheng.
Sensors have capabilities of precision and record temperature, humidity, blood oxygen levels, and heart performance. The new development of printing them on body as tattoos can help humanity especially during pandemics like the present one


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Internet company LibertyOne's online auction strategy has intensified with the announcement that it will extend its licensing arrangement with US auction house uBid into the Asian region.
LibertyOne secured the exclusive Australian and New Zealand licensing rights for uBid in July last year, implementing them in Australia in October and in New Zealand just weeks ago.
The additional deal entails the non-exclusive licensing of uBid's online auction software, documentation and intellectual property throughout Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.
But the actual uBid brand will not be deployed in the region. "The recognition of the uBid brand in Asia is virtually nil. We will be looking at developing our own brand to deploy in the greater Asian region," said Chris Hitching, uBid's managing director.
However, the close ties with the brand uBid will still be utilised when approaching suppliers, said Hitching.
"We have a very close relationship with uBid and when we're approaching vendors we do it with our uBid hat on - it carries more weight because they know the name."
CMGI have the rights to the uBid brand everywhere except Australia and New Zealand after it recently bought the auction house.
"We literally signed the new deal with uBid moments before CMGI and uBid signed theirs," said Hitching.
Developing its Asian operations is uBid's current priority, according to Hitching, who will focus on markets such as China and Japan first, then move on to less lucrative countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia.
In certain parts of Asia one site will initially service several countries, such as Singapore and Malaysia, with "neither having the mass to support separate teams of buyers".uBid will initially offer similar products to its successful Australian and New Zealand siblings, with 75 per cent of products sold through there being electrical goods for consumers, small business and home offices.
According to Hitching, the Australian site is closing 50 to 60 items a day and has signed on new vendors such as Dell and Philips since its inception.uBid's presence in New Zealand is also set to change, with hitching predicting that in the "next couple of months we will start sourcing products from New Zealand."
However, a completely unique New Zealand site (as opposed to its current set up where all products are sourced and shipped from Australia, as NZ only has a local URL) will only happen in about a year.


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India live e-invoice registration threshold of Rs 50 core
- Jun 11, 2019 | Richard Asquith
Ongoing discussions around the introduction later this year of live e-invoice reporting for GST are to turn to setting an annual sales registration threshold for participating taxpayers.
Indian announced last month plans to introduce the real-time electronic submission and approval regime by September 2019. This follows examples used in Brazil, Italy and South Korea. The aim is to require all vendors to transmit invoices to the GST Network system for digital certification before they are approved and passed onto customers.
The GST Council, which oversees the running of the country’s indirect tax system will meet later this month to decide on the threshold issue. It is likely to set the threshold at Rs50 Core, approximately €6.4million. This would bring over 68,000 companies into the obligation and would cover two-thirds of all GST paid.
The regime will apply to B2B invoices, although an extension to B2C invoices is still an option. Participating businesses would no longer be required to file periodic GST returns.


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American fashion retailer Gap has decided to do yet another large-scale reduction of retail chains.
The largest American fashion retailer Gap has decided to carry out another large-scale reduction in retail chains. According to the company's press service, 225 Gap and Banana Republic stores will close around the world by the end of 2020, and in 2021 more closures are expected.
As of August 1, 2020, the global network managed by Gap Inc. included more than 3,800 stores under names Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, Janie, and Jack. Of those, 1643 stores accounted for two key chains of retailers, writes Business Insider.
The company promised to present a more detailed plan to close stores at a meeting with investors on October 22, 2020. It is known that a significant part of the closure will be for stores located in shopping and entertainment centers.
Over the past few years, Gap has already closed several hundred stores. In particular, in early 2019, it was announced plans to reduce 230 outlets within two years. Still, the goal was adjusted upward due to the critical situation in the market against the background of a problematic epidemiological situation.
Last quarter Gap reported an 18% drop in net retail sales, despite an almost twofold increase in revenue through online channels. The most successful brand in the past month was Athleta, whose net sales grew by 6% and comparable - by 19%. For comparison, the revenue of Gap decreased by 28%, and Banana Republic - by 52%. To date, around 90% of retailers around the world have resumed operations after the restrictions were lifted.
Photo credit: despositphotos.com.


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Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI)’s share price fell 6% during trading on Monday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $43.33 and last traded at $43.61. 7,511,052 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 33% from the average session volume of 11,268,711 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.39.
Specifically, insider Christopher B. Walther sold 2,333 shares of Activision Blizzard stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.91, for a total transaction of $107,108.03. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert J. Morgado sold 15,000 shares of Activision Blizzard stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.91, for a total transaction of $643,650.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ATVI. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price target on shares of Activision Blizzard from $70.00 to $64.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 13th. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price target (down from $64.00) on shares of Activision Blizzard in a research report on Wednesday, February 13th. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $54.00 price target (down from $58.00) on shares of Activision Blizzard in a research report on Wednesday, February 13th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Activision Blizzard from $67.00 to $57.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 28th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price target (down from $60.00) on shares of Activision Blizzard in a research report on Wednesday, February 13th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-one have issued a buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $61.89.
Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.24 billion. Activision Blizzard had a net margin of 23.90% and a return on equity of 16.19%. Activision Blizzard’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.38 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Activision Blizzard, Inc. will post 1.99 EPS for the current year.
Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Steinberg Global Asset Management grew its stake in shares of Activision Blizzard by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Steinberg Global Asset Management now owns 37,210 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,733,000 after buying an additional 3,008 shares during the period. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new stake in Activision Blizzard during the 4th quarter worth $4,634,000. Probity Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Activision Blizzard during the 4th quarter worth $362,000. Maplelane Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Activision Blizzard during the 4th quarter worth $11,550,000. Finally, Edge Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Activision Blizzard by 2,163.8% during the 1st quarter. Edge Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 2,510 shares during the period. 87.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI)
Activision Blizzard, Inc develops and distributes content and services on video game consoles, personal computers (PC), and mobile devices. The company operates through three segments: Activision Publishing, Inc; Blizzard Entertainment, Inc; and King Digital Entertainment. It develops, publishes, and sells interactive software products and entertainment content for the console and PC platforms through retail and digital channels, including subscription, full-game, and in-game sales, as well as by licensing software to third-party or related-party companies; and offers downloadable content.
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DETROIT (Reuters) - Chrysler Group LLC FIA.MI, which popularized the minivan nearly 30 years ago, will showcase an upscale version of its Chrysler Town & Country family minivan at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week.
The 2013 Town & Country S includes a standard Blu-Ray DVD player as well as a black chrome grill and black interior. The minivan is the third Chrysler model to join the automaker’s “S” lineup after the 200 and 300 sedans.
Earlier this month, Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne told reporters that the automaker was “more or less” on track to launch a redesigned minivan by 2014. The company is the dominant player in the minivan segment, which it launched in 1983 under former CEO Lee Iacocca.
“We have spent an inordinate amount of time looking at that market,” Marchionne said, adding that the new minivan has been tested in consumer clinics for more than a year.
U.S. minivan sales peaked in 2000 at just over 1.3 million and today’s sales are about half that, due in part to higher gasoline prices and the “soccer mom” stigma - that only families favor them. Over the last several years, Chrysler’s U.S. rivals, General Motors Co (GM.N) and Ford Motor Co (F.N), stopped production of their less-popular minivans.
This month, Ford unveiled a version of its Transit Connect commercial van that includes sliding doors and other features seen in traditional minivans, but the second-largest U.S. automaker has opted to call the van a “people mover” instead.
Chrysler launched a sportier version of its Dodge Caravan last year to broaden its appeal. The model, called the “man van,” features an all-black interior, wider tires and a stiffer suspension.
(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by Dan Grebler)
This story has been refiled to fix the wording in the third paragraph, to redesigned from resigned


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BUA pledges support for AfCTA infrastructure projects, addresses despondent challenges affecting success
Aderemi Ojekunle is a Businessamlive Reporter.
you can contact hin on firstname.lastname@example.org with stories and commentary.
September 28, 20202.5K views0 comments
Nigerian leading foods, mining, manufacturing and infrastructure conglomerate, BUA Group, has expressed its interest to support the success of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) towards bolstering infrastructure projects across the continent.
Abdul Samad Rabiu, executive chairman and chief executive officer of BUA Group made the pledge when he received Wamkele Mene, the secretary general of the AfCFTA, and Victor Offiong, the acting director, National Office of Trade Negotiations, at the BUA headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
Rabiu voiced the group’s readiness to work towards the implementation and success of the AFCFTA agreement which when fully operational is bound to enhance development and transform the African economy.
Rabiu however stated that for the agreement to succeed, a lot of salient issues concerning the status of current regional agreements, including the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) to the East African Community (EAC), Customs Union, dumping, proliferation of small arms and illicit drugs, smuggling, the Trans-African highway and private sector/African Union/government partnerships, have to be addressed.
According to him, there is still a high level of distrust despite the overwhelming support for AfCFTA. He bemoaned the poor implementation of previous agreements citing the ETLS and the EAC and their failure to facilitate free movement of goods and services, coupled with appalling tariffs. He thereafter expressed serious concern over what he termed “a situation where people cannot move goods produced in African countries where over 90% value has been added to other African Countries.”
He further pointed to the fact that only 25 percent of Africans can travel visa-free to other African countries and the difficulties associated with travelling within Africa, which is more tedious compared to someone travelling into Africa from other continents.
In proffering solutions to the problems, Rabiu suggested that for the AfCFTA integration to be successful, there must be free movement through liberalized air travel, operations, and visa-free regimes across the Africa continent for businesses and individuals.
He noted that the continental free trade will also prove beneficial to BUA as its manufacturing and mining businesses are mostly located in areas that are potentially marked for exports. He cited the cement business in Sokoto, Nigeria which is approximately 1,000 kilometres to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and less than 100kms from the border with Niger Republic and also, an upcoming project situated at a border town in Adamawa close to the Cameroonian border. He explained that based on these, BUA is rightly positioned to take advantage of the agreement which will help bolster the AfCFTA vision.
He advised that for integration to become a success, free movement via liberalised air travel operations and visa-free regime across the continent for businesses and individuals has to be facilitated. He also projected that the free movement protocol of the AfCFTA needs to be pushed with renewed vigour.
Speaking on the issue of dumping, he noted that Nigeria, renowned for its huge population and large economy, has become a prime target for dumping for smaller neighbouring countries.
He lamented that these same countries do not permit the importation of made-in-Nigeria goods into their territories while they flood Nigeria with goods manufactured outside Africa. He concurred with the fact that though smaller African nations need to be protected to boost fair trade, measures must be put in place to prevent dumping and promote ‘made in Africa for Africa’ trade.
He opined that AfCFTA should initiate negotiations and an agreement should be crafted in ways to prevent goods produced and imported from outside Africa to benefit from the pacts which will in turn prevent larger African countries from becoming dumping grounds.
Addressing the issue of proliferation of small arms, illicit drugs and smuggling, Rabiu stated that they are crimes against economic, physical and territorial integrity and security of African nations.
He explained that it is one of the reasons that led Nigeria to close its borders with its neighbours. He noted that despite being in support of liberalising the free movement of people across the continent, more needs to be done towards clamping this challenge to the barest minimum.
On private sector involvement and partnership, Rabiu noted that the private sector has a lot to offer Africa. He stated that for cross border trade to work effectively, everyone, including governments, private sector and development financial institutions (DFIs) must be willing to collaborate fast to fix infrastructure to spur growth. He also emphasized the need for the private sector to be invited by the ‘Governments of Africa’ to discuss the way forward for sustainable investments and partnerships.
Speaking on the Trans-Africa highway project, he noted that if the Lagos-Mombasa Highway, which is about 6,259kms and the Dakar – Lagos roads are actualised, it will boost job creation and also facilitate trade like never before.
The BUA boss disclosed his willingness to personally mobilise ‘like-minded’ businesses across the continent with the resources required (steel, cement, etc.) to do these roads at a concession and guaranteed by sovereign African nations.
He urged for partnerships with various governments and the engagement of Ralia Odinga, the Special Envoy for Infrastructure in Africa to take the Mombasa – Lagos Highway into consideration.
Rabiu maintained that BUA group is more than excited about the possibilities of the Free Trade Agreement for the company, Nigeria and the entire continent of Africa now more than ever as he believes that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, if actualized and harnessed properly, will help spur development and trade within Africa like we have never witnessed before.


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Like Apple's World Wide Developer Conference, Google's I/O Conference is largely an insular affair, aimed at third-party software developers and hardware makers who form an important part of Google's ecosystem.
Many, if not most, of the announcements will be aimed at tech professionals, but just like at WWDC, you can expect some news to emerge from I/O that will be of great interest to the average consumer. What kind of news? Here's what some of the best and brightest think the biggest headlines will be once Google's two-day event kicks off on June 25.
GigaOm's Kevin Tofel thinks the big story will be Android Wear-based smart watches. He posits that LG, Motorola and Samsung may take this opportunity to show off new wearables and make them immediately available to buy. Tofel says there's a chance we might see the 8.9-inch Nexus tablet that's rumored to be in the works, but he doubts it will be available for purchase just yet.
Back in early April, Sean Hollister of TheVerge published an expose on Android TV, Google's answer to Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. His report suggested that this boxy peripheral will run video content, apps, and games. Since then, many have come to believe that the I/O Conference will serve as Android TV's debut. If that's the case, expect Google to price the device very aggressively.
Like many throughout the industry, Matt Hamblen of Computerworld believes Google may unwrap an entirely new version of Android (5.0, maybe?). He further suggests that the new OS might just bridge the gap between Android and Chrome by combining the two operating systems. It's a provocative idea, though it raises many questions about feasibility and functionality.
John Shinal of USA Today thinks (as does anyone with half a brain) that Google will do everything it can to make Android outshine Apple's iOS. Expect Google to take plenty of cues from Apple's finely-honed keynote presentations; adhering to Apple's format is practically a requirement for any big tech event nowadays.
One thing everybody seems to agree on is that Google loves to surprise its I/O audience. Google could easily pull from its large collection of fringe-ish experiments like self-driving cars, Internet-broadcasting balloons, artificial intelligence, robotics, and even a project focused on ending death. Announcements from any of these could wow I/O attendees -- and viewers at home.


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Let's look back at the past few months of Spring and Summer of 2022 as the Yellow team attended various outstanding Web3 conferences worldwide to showcase the upcoming Yellow Network global P2P cross-chain liquidity overlay and connect with fellow crypto enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and developers who are changing the world.
Yellow at MetaVentures Phuket
At the MetaVentures Phuket Conference held in Thailand on 7-9 May, Yellow was represented by Camille Meulien, Chief Technical Officer of Yellow. Camille is a brilliant software architect with over 15 years of experience in FinTech security, Big Data, distributed, and high-traffic systems.
MetaVentures Phuket was a unique experience where you could immerse yourself in the unforgettable atmosphere of the Metaverse development, digital art, and NFTs and delve more into the latest developments in digital assets, DeFi, DAOs, and different types of blockchains.
Yellow at Thailand Crypto Expo 2022
Right after the MetaVentures Phuket Conference, we came to Southeast Asia's largest crypto expo as a big team of around 15 people. Camille Meulien, CTO of Yellow, retook the stage at Thailand Crypto Expo 2022 with a presentation focused on how Yellow Network is becoming the financial layer to unite the blockchain world, the main problems of Web3, and the solution that Yellow achieved.
The event provided the opportunity to meet with the leading providers, product owners, and global services of blockchain projects from upstream to downstream, as well as leading executives, founders, experts, and C-levels from all over the world, in sectors such as exchanges, mining, utility tokens, security, NFTs and GameFi.
Check out the Yellow YouTube channel for the entire presentation of Yellow Network by Camille Meulien at Thailand Crypto Expo 2022.
Yellow at AIBC World Summit Toronto
Meanwhile, the Yellow team prepared for the AIBC World Summit, which took place on June 6-9 in Toronto. The AIBC Americas is one of the leading events globally for blockchain, AI, crypto, and other emerging technologies.
We had a fantastic time getting together with our friends and partners and building new valuable connections. Yellow also planned plenty of intriguing activities for its community: exclusive meetings with the Yellow team, different workshops, and a highly-anticipated $YELLOW token sale.
Louis Bellet, Yellow CEO, gave a keynote speech at AIBC Summit in Toronto titled "Crossing the Chasm Between WEB 2.0 and WEB 3.0." Louis is a renowned software architect and serial entrepreneur in the fintech, crypto, and blockchain spaces, dedicating significant efforts to building the new Web3 financial layer powered by blockchain and state channel technologies.
“Our long-term objective is a global trading and remittance system powered by blockchain tech that makes crypto actually accessible and helpful to people,”— says Louis Bellet, CEO of Yellow, in an exclusive interview for Block Magazine.
Want to learn more about Yellow Network and the solutions to scaling the Internet from Web2 to Web3? Check out the full exclusive interview by Louis Bellet for Block Magazine, managed by Sigma.
We are honored to announce that we won The Exchange Of The Year 2022. A big thank you to all who support our project as Yellow keeps rapidly growing and evolving, and we are here for the long run.
Yellow at Consensus 2022 by Coindesk
The 2022 Consensus by Coindesk is a festival for the decentralized world, where thousands of brightest minds and impactful voices will come together. It is the only festival hosted by CoinDesk that covers all sides of blockchain, crypto, Web3, and the Metaverse.
We had an excellent time understanding the pulse of the crypto industry in 2022, participating in thought-provoking discussions, and meeting many inspirational people shaping our future.
Yellow at Crypto Expo Milan
Our team spent several days at the Crypto Expo Milan dedicated to the mass adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency technology, DeFi ecosystems, NFT, Metaverse, and Web3.
We were pleased to unite with our Italian friends and the international community that attended, share the knowledge, discuss the industry's trending topics with other experts, and learn more about blockchain and DeFi ecosystems.
Stas Liutenko, Yellow Sales Lead, recorded many engaging interviews for you to watch. Follow our YouTube channel and stay tuned for more content from the conference.
Yellow at European Blockchain Convention 2022
And last but not least is the European Blockchain Convention 2022 in Barcelona. The event has featured 120 speakers across various panels, keynotes, workshops, and fireside chats on the current state of blockchain, crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and Web3.
Stay Tuned For More Yellow Roadshows
At Yellow, we believe in lifelong learning and effective networking, and we will continue to highlight the unique Yellow Network project, broaden our network and forge new partnerships.
Yellow is a global ecosystem of blockchain products & services for Web3 Internet of Finance, providing startup seed funding, mentorship, advisory, data analytics, market making, and fintech software solutions.
Yellow also provides developer tools, services, and education programs worldwide for blockchain infrastructure developers and crypto brokerage businesses.
Press Contact: [email protected]


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Smartphones, Tablets Drive DRAM Market Expansion
The mobile DRAM market is showing strong signs of growth as the format is adopted in smartphones and tablets.The growing market for smartphones and tablets is giving the mobile dynamic RAM market a boost, according to a market brief from IHS iSuppli. With its increasing use in smart mobile devices as manufacturers opt for lower-power memory platforms to power applications, mobile DRAM revenue is on track to reach a record $6.56 billion this year, up 10 percent from $5.98 billion in 2011, the report said. The expansion in mobile DRAM use in various devices is impressive, with smartphone density jumping from 2.28Gbit in the second quarter of 2010 to 5.85Gbit in the second quarter this year. Tablets are driving even greater expansion, with the mobile DRAM average density soaring fourfold during the same period from 2Gbit to 8.33Gbit, according to the reports findings.
The mobile DRAM segment is achieving impressive growth as mobile operating systems, streaming apps and games require more memory to handle sophisticated tasks, Ryan Chien, analyst for memory and storage at IHS, said in a press statement. Crucial features like multitasking, media decoding and decompression, data synchronization and background operations are all driving DRAM needsand new phones and tablets are meeting those needs with their rise in mobile DRAM densities.


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AdAge reports that Chrysler and Gotham are working on a campaign “it hopes will help repair its image in the minds of consumers.” Not exactly, per a Chrysler representative. The automaker tells AgencySpy:
“Chrysler Group asked Gotham to conduct research for a possible corporate message and campaign. The agency worked with us to develop ideas and test them out, however, we have not confirmed a corporate campaign to air. Currently, we are focused on developing campaigns targeted at new products that will begin to roll out shortly.”
It’s an important point given the failure of those GM/Ed Whitacre ads which attempted to show the company’s employees hard at work.
As one commenter noted in the comments, “Wow. Another auto campaign featuring real employees? Ground breaking.” Maybe not — we’ll have to wait and see. But, is there any value to showing people at work? It seems to work for Zappos.


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Veteran Wall Street and Software Executive Has Held Senior Leadership Roles at Some of the World’s Most Respected Firms
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing, today announced that it has named Krish Venkataraman, a seasoned finance and technology executive, as chief financial officer to support the company’s rapid growth.
In this role, Venkataraman is responsible for all finance and internal technology teams for the company.
“As our company is in hypergrowth mode, Krish is a highly seasoned executive with a depth of knowledge in key industries that are critical to our success, from fintech to software, and has experience managing category-leading businesses at scale,” said KnowBe4 CEO Stu Sjouwerman. “He has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most respected firms, helped create billions in new financing for acquisitions and expansions, and created significant value for shareholders and firms’ employees. He also brings experience in acquisitions, streamlining technology, building a go-to-market strategy, and creating world-class operations — all of which are crucial at this moment in our expansion.”
Venkataraman most recently served as CFO of Dealogic, a fintech company that offers integrated content, analytics and technology via targeted products and services to financial firms worldwide. In that role, he led the company through a successful and strategic sale in December 2017. Prior to Dealogic, Venkataraman served as CFO and COO of Syncsort, a global leader in Big Iron to Big Data software, where he also led the successful sale of that company.
Earlier roles included serving as CFO for information technology for NYSE Euronext when it was the parent company for the world’s largest exchange, where he helped in the sale process to Intercontinental Exchange; chief administrative officer for U.S. equities for Lehman Brothers; and as a strategist for both American Express and Deloitte Consulting.
“Stu and his management team have made KnowBe4 the unrivaled leader in this space, and I am delighted to join a company that is on the cutting edge of protecting organizations throughout the world,” Venkataraman said. “Having worked at NYSE Euronext when it was the parent company for the world’s largest exchange and at Dealogic — which has a presence in all of the top investment banks and a number of large hedge funds, consulting firms and financial media outlets — I’ve had a front row seat on the world’s financial network. I know that one of the biggest risks every company faces today is cybersecurity. KnowBe4 tackles the weakest link, individual employees, and through its training and technology platform, makes employees the strongest link in protecting the company. I am passionate about this company’s mission and Stu’s bold vision for the future.”
Venkataraman is a sought-after expert and thought leader, with appearances in outlets such as Forbes, CFO.com, FierceCFO, Wealth & Finance International, Bloomberg Radio and others, and as a featured speaker at major conferences such as Strata + Hadoop World’s conference on Big Data. He was also previously named CFO of the Year by Acquisition International. Venkataraman holds a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in finance from Carnegie Mellon University.
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest integrated security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 20,000 organizations worldwide. Founded by data and IT security expert Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness of ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to security awareness training. Kevin Mitnick, internationally recognized computer security expert and KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer, helped design KnowBe4’s training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Tens of thousands of organizations worldwide trust KnowBe4 to mobilize their employees as their last line of defense.
Number 96 on the 2018 Inc. 500 list, #70 on 2017 Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 and #2 in Cybersecurity Ventures Cybersecurity 500. KnowBe4 is headquartered in Tampa Bay, Florida with European offices in England, the Netherlands, Germany and offices in South Africa and Singapore.


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The retailer and Chicago’s organized labor unions met Thursday to hash out a wage deal, then City Council’s zoning committee voted unanimously to approve the facility at Pullman Park.
Officials from the Chicago Federation of Labor worked out a deal with the nation’s biggest retailer to pay its employees $8.75 per hour and guarantee them a minimum .40 cents an hour raise after the first year.
Under the agreement, Wal-Mart would hire union workers to build its Chicagoland stores.
The deal puts an end to a year’s long fight to bring allow the mega-retailer to make more headway into the Chicago market.
But it doesn’t come without warnings.
Aldermen and labor officials told sent messages to Wal-Mart to be on their best behavior in the city lest they be barred from building more projects in the future. The Arkansas based company has voiced its desire to build dozens of locations in the Chicagoland area.
If they play nice, aldermen said, the council won’t stand in the way of future projects.
The Pullman project, a 700,000 square feet development, should employ up to 700 residents.


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Our eyes are amazing organs, able to focus on near and far objects in an instant. For those that aren’t born with perfect vision, there are excellent options in the form of glasses or contacts, but as helpful as they can be, they don’t come close to matching the versatility of the human eye — especially if multiple prescriptions are involved. Researchers at the University of California San Diego, however, have been working on a better alternative that could vastly improve corrected vision: a smart contact lens capable of switching its focus on near and far objects based on eye movements.
The prototype lens reads electrooculographic signals (electric potential that exists within one’s eyes) for control, via electrodes placed in the skin around the wearer’s eyes. This allows it to detect where a person is looking and adjust accordingly. It could even potentially pick up on blinking signals, acting not just as a corrective device, but as a telephoto lens-style augmentation.
The lens is made out of polymer films that expand when electricity is applied, changing its focal length by as much as 32 percent. It’s an exciting concept, but as of now the setup consists of electronics and hardware that would be extremely unwieldy for everyday use, not to mention the actual lens assembly, all of which will need to be miniaturized to fit on a human eye. The project’s research paper is available here.


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SEEN & NOTED: UNITED KINGDOM - JCDecaux UK has announced the launch of Channel 6, a national digital out-of-home (DOOH) network of 1,400 digital signage screens across the UK. The digital signage network will be located in major retail and transport hubs enabling brands to deliver advertising campaigns in retail with the ability to target audiences shopping and searching using smartphones.
JCDecaux also unveiled SmartScreen (pictured above), an insight-driven network of 400 digital signage screens at the largest Tesco stores in the UK. SmartScreens are powered by dunnhumby insight, a leading customer science company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Tesco PLC, the SmartScreens will enable optimized scheduling based on audience behavior and sales. According to JCDecaux , research shows that the SmartScreen increased sales more than 9% compared with non-digital posters at supermarkets.
Read more about digital out-of-home media on ScreenMedia Daily


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The US’ total economic output shot up 2.5% from July through September, after two dismal quarters of rising just 0.4% and 1.3%, according to a new GDP report released today. Consumers amped up their spending on both durable goods and services, and business investments soared 16.3%—indicating that we may not be in for a second recession after all.
“Despite negative economic headlines, we’re not seeing evidence of a slowdown in demand,” a JetBlue executive tells the Wall Street Journal. The numbers were also boosted by federal government spending, though drops in state government spending dampened that effect. And there’s some more moderately positive news: New jobless claims fell 2,000 this week, after dropping 7,000 last week. But that still leaves claims at 402,000—economists think claims must fall below 400,000 for job growth to outpace job losses. (Read more GDP stories.)


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Harlem’s headline food festival, Harlem EatUp! returned for it’s third year more celebrity chef dinners than ever, two days of grand tastings in picturesque Morningside Park, cooking demos, kids’ activities and even a concert at The Apollo Theater.
“The Harlem EatUp! Festival is inspired by the vibrancy of the Harlem community and all that it encompasses: music, art, people and of course, food,” says Marcus Samuelsson, local chef, restaurateur and co-founder of the festival.
Tuesday through Friday, guests can ‘Dine in Harlem’ with Samuelsson and chefs Dominique Crenn, Carla Hall, Dale Talde, Laurent Tourondel and more guests from across the country. Saturday and Sunday, ‘The Stroll’ took over Morningside Park with a grand tastings from neighborhood restaurants, food and beverage vendors, live music and sponsor tents.


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If consumers thought Black Friday started too early on Thanksgiving last year, they will be astonished by start times this year. Black Friday was a 6 a.m. start time for many retailers, but over the years, the time has crept earlier and earlier.
tabitha redder/managing editor A small movement across the country is taking minimalism to an entirely new level and making a big statement.
jamil oakford/se news editor Commencement speakers have one of the biggest tasks at a graduation ceremony. Their job is to stare into a sea of young professional hopefuls about to graduate and empower them.


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Beef industry markets new, more affordable cuts of steak
December 7, 2013 8:50 PM
Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times
From left, Flatiron/Backyard, Teres Major, Boneless Chuck Flat and Top Sirloin Culotte cuts are readied on the kitchen table at Tender Greens in Pasadena, Calif.
By David Pierson / Los Angeles Times
For generations, beef shoulder was a blue-collar cut of cow, fit for the meat grinder or crockpot but not much else.
But where others saw pot roast, Tony Mata saw potential.
Mr. Mata is a Dallas meat scientist whose mission is to find hidden gems in rough parts of the steer. He and a team of researchers came up with the industry's newest steak by mining the muscle under the shoulder blade for a tender pad of flesh.
Unveiled last year at a trade show, the meat is starting to land on restaurant menus. At about $6 a pound, it sells for twice the price of hamburger and has a catchy name to boot: the Vegas Strip Steak.
"People think I'm crazy trying to look for new steaks in an animal we've domesticated for thousands of years," Mr. Mata said. "But as an industry, we've ignored all these other muscles. I truly believe there's still two or three more steaks out there."
His persistence is a testament to changing fortunes in the beef industry. U.S. per capita beef consumption has been falling for decades as consumers have shifted to lighter fare. Pricey prime rib and filet mignon have vanished from many American tables in a sluggish economy.
That has the beef industry scouring the animal for affordable delicacies -- cuts that will fetch higher prices than burger without breaking the bank for shoppers. Now steaks with names like ranch, petite tender, Denver and Sierra are popping up in meat cases alongside familiar names like sirloin and porterhouse.
"Any time you can make something steak-able, you're bringing more dollars back to the carcass," said Jake Nelson, a meat processing specialist at Oklahoma State University who worked with Mr. Mata on the Vegas Strip Steak.
Such efforts began in earnest more than a decade ago. That's when the U.S. industry's promotional arm, known as the Beef Checkoff, funded research to find cuts tasty and tender enough to turn into inexpensive steaks.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida studied more than three dozen muscles, focusing mainly on the shoulder or chuck, as well as the round, which is the back leg. They measured tenderness, trimmed the gristle and spent hours in test kitchens cooking up the results.
Top-quality steaks have traditionally come from the steer's midsection, which is supple and easy to butcher. Chris Calkins, a University of Nebraska professor who worked on the project, said skepticism abounded among meatpackers that anything valuable would be found in the animal's ropy front and behind.
But in a portion of the chuck known, unappetizingly, as the shoulder clod, they found a large pocket of marbled meat. All it required was some nimble knife skills, and suddenly there were the makings of an elegant steak. They dubbed it the flatiron because it resembled an antique steel clothing iron.
Retailing for about $6 a pound, the flatiron is now America's sixth most popular steak, overtaking the porterhouse last year.
And it has changed the economics of beef. Experts estimate that it has helped add $50 to $70 to the value of the average steer -- impressive, considering that an entire animal goes for about $1,600.
The flatiron has enabled restaurants to serve a hearty steak at relatively affordable prices.
Although the flatiron is the runaway sales leader among the newer cuts, nothing can beat the recently introduced country-style ribs for sheer imagination. These "ribs" are boneless -- and they aren't found near the animal's rib cage. Instead, this meat is sliced from the chuck.
Other industry innovations amount to little more than smaller portions. Take the New York strip fillet. It's essentially a typical 1-pound New York strip steak split in half. That might seem like cheating, but beef marketers defend it as good value for consumers on a budget.
"They're still enjoying a high-quality steak but at a lower cost," said Trevor Amen of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Some meat experts remain dubious, too. They say the beef industry is trying to dress up second-tier cuts with fancy names.
"We already know about all the good stuff," said Lou DeRosa, a third-generation butcher at Marconda's Meats in Los Angeles. "Those new cuts are pretty rough."


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Politicians never miss a chance to extract every last dime out of the taxpayers. Here is an article about the fees proposed to be charged on electric vehicles. They want us all to buy electric cars and eliminate the internal combustion engine, but they want to tax us when we do what they want.
Let State Senator John Eklund now how you fell about this unfair and onerous tax.
Here is a link where you can reach Senator Eklund: https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/ohio/get-involved-with-solar-united-neighbors-of-ohio/tell-the-ohio-senate-no-unfair-fees-on-evs-and-hybrids/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=eblast&utm_campaign=advocacy&utm_content=ohio&utm_term=evs&ms=email-eblast-advocacy-ohio-evs
Here is an excerpt from the article:
“Over the past few years, electric vehicles and hybrids have emerged as viable alternatives to traditional gasoline vehicles.
EVs are clean, fun to drive, and are an especially great fit with solar. After all, what’s better than the idea of powering your car with sunshine!
But now, Ohio lawmakers have proposed a bill imposing high registration fees on electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. The House has already passed HB 62, which will impose annual registration fees of $200 on pure battery electric vehicles and a $100 annual fee on all hybrid vehicles.
These punitive and excessive fees discourage people from purchasing EVs and hybrids at a time when we should be encouraging these purchases.
Tell your senator you are opposed to the new fees on electric vehicles and hybrids.”


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KIA MOTORS AMERICA EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH DONORSCHOOSE.ORG TO BENEFIT PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS NATIONWIDE IN 2013
Automaker’s National Philanthropic Program Aims for a Two-Year Total of More than $5 Million for School Supplies and Educational Resources
• To date, Kia’s match offer has enlisted the support of more than 21,000 “citizen philanthropists” and benefitted nearly 500,000 public school students and the teachers that inspire them
• Kia will help raise awareness for DonorsChoose.org in a variety of co-promotions including a prominent placement on the No. 36 Kia Racing Optima Turbo competing this weekend in the Pirelli World Challenge race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut
NEW YORK--July 2, 2013: After providing educational resources to nearly 500,000 public school students across America last year, Kia Motors America (KMA) today announces a significant extension of its philanthropic partnership with DonorsChoose.org, the online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.
As part of the continuing relationship, Kia is launching a major funding campaign in 2013 that will raise the company’s total impact to $5 million in just two years. To date, Kia has matched the support of 21,000 citizen philanthropists to collectively deliver more than $2.1 million in resources to classrooms nationwide. “Kia Motors America (KMA) has grown to become the eighth largest brand in the U.S. by volume, and as we grow, our culture and core values compel us to give back to the communities that we call home and contribute to a better future for all,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia. “The overwhelming response to last year’s collaboration with DonorsChoose.org was truly inspiring, and we are determined to help even more children – and teachers – in need in 2013.”
“Kia’s support has helped bring books, chess sets, butterfly gardens, guitars, basketballs, microscopes, and many more resources to America’s high-need classrooms,” said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org. “DonorsChoose.org is grateful for Kia’s renewed commitment to helping thousands of students access the materials they need and the quality education they deserve.” -more- The announcement coincides with the unveiling of a new racing livery for the No. 36 Kia Racing Optima featuring DonorsChoose.org at a VIP “Stars and Cars” promotional event in New York City.
Kia will match consumer donations to classroom projects at public schools near Kia’s network of more than 765 retail showrooms across the country as well as the company’s U.S. headquarters in Irvine, Calif., and assembly plant in West Point, Ga. Earlier this year, Kia highlighted the valuable work of DonorsChoose.org in a marketing integration with NBC’s hit show “The Voice” and made a substantial contribution to the charity’s efforts to rebuild 60 Oklahoma classrooms destroyed by tornadoes. Kia: One of the World’s Fastest Moving Global Automotive Brands Kia Motors America is one of only three auto brands to increase U.S. sales in each of the past four years, and in 2012 the company surpassed the 500,000 unit mark for the first time. With a full line of fun-to-drive cars and CUVs, Kia is advancing value to new levels of sophistication by combining European-influenced styling – under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer – with cutting-edge technologies, premium amenities, affordable pricing and the lowest cost of ownership in the industry.
Kia recently joined the exclusive ranks of Interbrand’s “Top 100 Best Global Brands,” and is poised to continue its momentum with seven all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2013. Over the past decade Kia Motors has invested more than $1.4 billion in the U.S., including the company’s first U.S. assembly plant in West Point, Georgia – Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia – which is responsible for the creation of more than 11,000 plant and supplier jobs. The success of the U.S.-built Optima and Sorento in two of the industry’s largest segments has fueled Kia’s rapid growth and is complemented by Kia’s comprehensive lineup which includes the Cadenza flagship sedan, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Sportage compact CUV, Optima Hybrid, the Forte sedan, 5-door and Koup compacts, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and the Sedona minivan.


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It all seemed so logical. With the death rate among Thais running at a steady 100%, and the number of Thais who eat rice in their lives also at 100%, there must surely be a link.
MAKING PEACE: Sutthiphong Thammawuthi, host of ‘Kon Khon Kon’ (People Searching People), during a visit to a packing facility of rice brand Royal Umbrella. PHOTO: SUNTHON PONGPAO
Or at least that seemed to be the strongest evidence brought to yet another rice issue during a sudden and startling spike in expressed fears that the country's rice - overpriced, overstocked and overwhelmed with corruption - had suddenly become unhealthy. Not just unhealthy, but actually toxic.
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(Reuters) -- Brunswick Corp., the world's largest maker of recreational boats, said on Friday that quarterly earnings dropped 59%, pulled lower by "significant declines" in sales in the upper U.S. Midwest, the home of the struggling U.S. auto industry.
Profit down 59% for boatmaker Brunswick
The company, which has been also been hurt as higher interest rates and energy prices have weighed on the minds of potential buyers, reported third-quarter profit dropped to $36.5 million, or 39 cents a share, from $88.4 million, or 89 cents a share, a year earlier.
Sales slipped 1% to $1.34 billion.
Stripping out the effects of discontinued businesses, Brunswick earned 54 cents a share. On that basis, analysts, on average, expected a profit of 46 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates. The stock rose 1.4% in early trading.
Lake Forest-based Brunswick said the drop in sales was especially dramatic in the United States, where it experienced "significant declines" in the sales of freshwater boats in the upper Midwest, where the woes of the U.S. auto industry have kept customers out of the showrooms.
The company, which also manufactures fitness equipment and bowling and billiard products, said those sales and strong demand for its boats overseas helped offset the sharp drop in U.S. demand.
Inventories at dealers continued to grow despite production cuts. As a result, the company said it planned additional production cuts in the 2007 model year.
It also updated its forecast for 2006 earnings from continuing operations to a range of $2.40 to $2.46 a share, down from $3.13 a share last year.
On that basis, analysts, on average, expected the company to report earnings of $2.47 a share.
The stock rose 45 cents to $33.45 on the New York Stock
Exchange on Friday.
So far this year, Brunswick shares have fallen nearly 19%, underperforming the S&P Consumer Discretionary subindex, which has risen more than 20% during that same period.


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- Turkish Airlines - Malaysia Airlines joint flights
- Certificate of honor for Turkish Airlines
- ‘Finest Service’ award from Pakistan
- Turkish Airlines Stuttgart Fame Trip
- New CIP Lounge for Gaziantep Airport
- Turkish Airlines’ flights to China has been increased up to ten a week
- Upgrading now much easier on Turkish Airlines
- In one direction or any direction with Miles&Smiles
- Mile-earning cars in Turkish Airlines - TOFAŞ cooperation
- Relatives of Miles&Smiles members to gain as well
- Göteborg (Sweden) flights get under way
- Flights to Antalya get under way from three destinations in Europe
- Turkish Airlines’ new flight destination: Toronto
- Turkish Airlines decides to purchase new planes
- Turkish Airlines and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus sign protocol
- Istanbul Promotional Tour in Addis Ababa
- With AnadoluJet on Istanbul’s Anatolian side...
- AnadoluJet passengers can also fly SunExpress
Mile-earning cars in Turkish Airlines - TOFAŞ cooperation
Turkish Airlines and car manufacturer TOFAŞ have launched a joint campaign enabling Miles&Smiles members to earn miles and offering special discounts when they purchase Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia brand cars.
The campaign, which gives a wide range of advantages to Miles&Smiles members who purchase models such as the Fiat Linea, Bravo, Grande Punto, Albea Sole, Palio Sole, Panda or 500; the Alfa Romeo MiTo, 147, 159, GT, Brera or Spiker, or the Lancia Ypsilon and Delta, is attracting attention as the first joint effort in Turkey between an airline and a car manufacturer.
Developed jointly by TOFAŞ and Turkish Airlines, the joint campaign offers members of the Miles&Smiles frequent flyer program special discounts as well as the opportunity to earn more flight miles. It will continue until 31 December 2009, securing an array of advantages to Miles&Smiles members who purchase cars from Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia’s wide range of products.


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Balkrishna Industries Limited
(BKT), India’s leading manufacturer of off-highway tyre has announced that its
Chairman & Managing Director Arvind Poddar has been inducted in the 2018 Tyre
Industry Hall of Fame instituted by the Tire Industry Association (TIA).
Awarded in recognition of his
significant impact made within the tyre industry, this honour was conferred to
him at an award ceremony held on October 29, 2018 at Paris Las Vegas Hotel in
TIA’s Hall of Fame Award is
the highest honour any individual in the entire tyre industry can achieve. The
award is given to honour, preserve and perpetuate the names and outstanding
accomplishments of those who have contributed greatly to the growth and
development of the tire industry. Induction into the Hall of Fame is the
highest honour from TIA and it is conferred on an annual basis to discerning
leaders in the tyre industry.
Designed with a unique abrasive film for higher performance, TVS Apache, a friction brand of Brakes India, launched platinum brake pads for the luxury car range which have been designed for comfort an...
Uno Minda, a leading Tier 1 supplier of proprietary automotive solutions to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), has announced the launch of its BS VI -compliant automotive engine oils for two-whe...
Vida, powered by Hero, the emerging mobility brand of Hero MotoCorp, has initiated operations of its public charging infrastructure in Bengaluru, Delhi and Jaipur. The brand has set up nearly 300 cha...


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Featuring the latest in technology and offering affordable luxury with better pricing and services is the new entrant in the Indian Smart TV market – SCAPE TV. Based out of Bengaluru, the brand SCAPE TV has been brought out by ScapeXtreme Private Limited. Despite being the newest TV manufacturer in Indian market, the brand sold more than 1 million units in its first year of launch. We had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Sooraj PP, Co-founder, and Chief Marketing Officer, SCAPE TV, who discussed about the brand’s foray into Indian TV segment and shared insights into company’s growth strategy for the Indian market.
Here’s an excerpt from the interaction.
Please tell us about SCAPE TV, its foray into the Indian market, and what are the focus market segments for the brand.
Scape is the youngest yet technologically advanced Smart TV Brand which is also Made in India currently. We started with the aim of making the luxury affordable to everyone, but let me add, it is not just the luxury that we are offering but a premium product with the quality at a better price and service.
In a competitive market of Smart TVs, what are the USPs of SCAPE TV that make it different from those offered by other major players?
I should say this question has become very familiar to any start-up when they launch a new product in the market and it is an obvious question too. Apart from making our TVs in India, we also make sure that every TV is technologically superior to other competitors in the market. Even when you are considering the pricing factor, which is definitely one of the important factors for the Indian consumers when purchasing a Television, we have made sure that they can get bigger, technologically superior, and visually stunning products at a better price.
For the Service Network, we follow a hybrid model in which we tie-up with some of the best in the market vendors for some areas, and for others, we have our own team to look after the service that makes us provide the best in class service to our customers.
Tell us about the government policies that have helped you to manufacture under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Are there any challenges you face as a manufacturer that the government needs to address?
Make In India is definitely a huge step for the Indian Market as well as the consumers. As far as Televisions are concerned, one of the major drawback we, as Indian TV brands have is the lack of Open Cell Manufacturers in India. One of the major reasons for not having an open cell manufacturing facility in India is definitely the cost factor and having the customs duty on Imported Open Cells makes TV costlier for both manufacturers and the consumers.
Were you impacted by the global shortages of electronic components and semiconductors? How can you reduce dependency on imports, especially Chinese components?
Just like any other manufacturers who depend on imported components to manufacture their products, we and our vendors definitely were impacted by the global shortage of the components. Apart from that, the cargo prices were going crazy post-Covid and that combined with the delivery delay gets impacted on the shortage of the product which in turn affects the pricing, delay in delivery, and overall product shortage as well in the market. It will take time to manufacture everything from A to Z in India, and we need to find an alternative solution if we want to sustain the competition on the world stage.
To support your manufacturing are you planning to set up an R&D facility to cater to the Indian consumer’s demands.
We will for sure be setting up an R&D facility in India. We are in fact scouting for the talents already. Consumers always want the best products and we cannot just copy-paste the technology from China. We should build the technology that our customers are looking for, as the customer behavior varies dramatically geographically on consumer appliances
From you perspective, how has consumer behavior changed during the pandemic? What are the trends you’re seeing today that are going to drive the TV market in India?
As I was suggesting earlier, consumer behavior changes dramatically across geographies. In India’s Television Segment, the sales of Smart TV is booming considering the pre-Covid sales. The major reason is there are more online classes, consumers are looking for TVs that are connected, which is independent of the traditional cable/Dish to watch programs. Consumers are not just looking to watch regular TV programmes on TVs nowadays, they are also looking for something more, something which could help them to learn, or help them in their job, or help them in their/kids education. The traditional Television anyhow would have been phased out but the Covid made this phasing out even quicker.
Share some insights on your strategic roadmap for growth in India, what are your short-term and long-term objectives, and what innovative products are you planning to launch for the upcoming festival season.
We are having one of the best growth for a young company can dream of, and we would like to thank all our retailer-dealer-distributor-stockists and consumers. We are expanding pan-India and we are in the process of appointing stockists across and are expected to complete the appointments by November 2022.
We have been working on and with the Android platform, and soon are going to come up with the WebOS platforms on our Smart TVs. We are also launching the Premium Speaker Series and an entire range of Home Appliances in 2022, and overall we expect 2022 to be a historic year for the Scape Team.


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The Europeans have taken over the red carpets this week. And we’re not talking about actors – we’re talking about the designers who dressed them.
Dominating the red carpet this week were Italian contenders Prada and Gucci, fighting it out for best-dressed on Audrey Tautou, Zoe Saldana, Blake Lively, and Jessica Chastain. Not to be outdone, Armani showed up on a dressed-to-kill Uma Thurman, who radiated glamour in a slinky, glittering black gown. We’d be remiss not to mention Chanel’s fashion feats of fame with Rachel Bilson in a delicate tiered floral gown by the house and Emma Roberts sporting a summery white frock. See fashion’s biggest names and Hollywood’s biggest stars in this June 3rd edition of Style Watch.
Audrey Tautou wearing a Prada gown at the Palme D’Or Winners Photocall
Zoe Saldana wearing a Gucci jacket and sandals at the Chime For Change concert
Blake Lively wearing a Gucci dress and Christian Louboutin pumps at the Chime For Change concert
Rachel Bilson wearing a Chanel dress at the Chanel Dinner for NRDC’s A Celebration of Art, Nature and Technology
Uma Thurman wearing a Giorgio Armani gown at the Palme D’Or Winners Dinner
Jessica Chastain wearing a Gucci dress and Christian Louboutin pumps at the Chime For Change concert
Isla Fisher wearing a Sachin + Babi dress at the Now You See Me screening
Emma Roberts wearing a Chanel dress at the Chanel dinner for NRDC’s A Celebration of Art, Nature and Technology


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We stand by to engage with you, the government of China and President Xi, on that matter, she said. "No, it sounds like STUPID TRADE - going on for years!"
Russian assets extended Monday's slide as investors digested the new round of USA sanctions targeting Russian tycoons.
FED MINUTES: At its most recent meeting in March, Federal Reserve policymakers said they felt the US central bank might have to raise interest rates faster than expected to keep up with quickening economic growth and rising inflation that's coming close their 2 per cent target, according to the latest minutes.
He also said "Cold War mentality" and arrogance had become obsolete and would be repudiated.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He promised at the World Economic Forum in January that China would roll out fresh market openings this year, and that it would lower auto import tariffs in an "orderly way".
Trump's move last week to threaten China with tariffs on $50 billion United States in Chinese goods was aimed at forcing Beijing to address what Washington says is deeply entrenched theft of USA intellectual property and forced technology transfers from USA companies.
"What you are seeing in the market is an alleviation of trade war fears and people trying to get back in and reposition themselves for what they hope - no trade war", said Robert Pavlik, chief investment strategist at SlateStone Wealth LLC in NY. And yet few of his pledges signaled much change. It's still unclear when that will happen.
Boeing and Caterpillar both rose more than 3 percent as concerns of a trade war were alleviated.
"The market's increasing expectation is that the two sides will sit down now", said Paul Christopher, head of global market strategy for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, although stocks could bounce around as those negotiations proceed.
U.S. -China trade talks said to stall over high-tech industry. That would cause China more economic pain.
China in a retaliatory measure, made a decision to impose additional tariff of 25 per cent on 106 products under 14 categories worth Dollars 50 billion.
Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted about the "STUPID TRADE" with China, saying that when a Chinese-made vehicle is sent to the US, the tariff is only 2.5 per cent, while American cars exported to China are slapped with a 25 per cent tariff. Interestingly, just a few hours before Xi's speech, Trump had tweeted, "When a auto is sent to the United States from China, there is a tariff to be paid of 2.5 per cent".
So Gao Feng, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, gathered reporters Friday - on a national holiday at 8 p.m. - to warn the country "would immediately fight back with a major response" if Trump enacted the levies.
Silvecrest Asset Management chief strategist Patrick Chovanec, tweeted "My guess is that Xi's "conciliatory" tone is more about posing as the reasonable one on trade, and trying to divide potential allies from Trump, than caving to Trump". A commentary in the official People's Daily after the speech said Beijing would never open at the expense of its interests - a signal that it would continue supporting "Made in China 2025".
"Stronger IPR protection is the requirement of foreign enterprises, and even more so of Chinese enterprises", Xi said.
"Does that sound like free or fair trade".
The long-planned speech-marking 40 years after the first economic reforms transformed China-was being closely watched after Trump's plan to hit hundreds of Chinese products with duties.
"That could be a source of unresolved tension in coming days".
Some still viewed Xi's speech as a welcome de-escalation after last week's antics.
Asian markets rose earlier in the day as fears about a potentially catastrophic China-US trade war were tempered by hopes the two sides would be able to hammer out an agreement.
Last month, the United States rejected Broadcom Ltd's hostile takeover of Qualcomm Inc, sending a message that his administration won't look kindly on any deal that would give China an edge in critical technology.
"This is a very important action by China".
- UEFA Europa League: Arsenal face Atletico test, Marseille draw Salzburg in semis
- IDF orders investigation into response to Gaza protests
- Musk: Tesla Will Be Profitable, Cash Flow Positive In Q3, Q4
- Israel Attacks Targets in Gaza Strip
- Fortnite Introduces Port-a-Fort Grenades
- House speaker Paul Ryan reportedly says he won't seek re-election
- IPL 2018: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan salute 20-year-old Mayank Markande
- Anish, Tejaswani clinch gold; Anjum bags silver
- Hamilton apologises to Verstappen
- Salah sends Liverpool into semis


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With the Euro 2016 Football Championship just weeks away, Swedish casino games developer NetEnt is offering players the chance to get into the mood for the tournament with the launch of its new slot, Football: Champions Cup.
The five-reel, three-row and twenty-line video slot is available for both desktop and mobile devices, and features a penalty shootout bonus game and free spins mode, along with wild and overlay wild substitutions.
The new slot launch follows the recent roll-out of the supplier's Jimi Hendrix slot, the second to be released in its NetEnt Rocks series of music-themed games, after a Guns'n'Roses slot launched earlier this year. A Motörhead branded game is set to follow this Autumn.
"All eyes this summer will be glued to the European Championship football, and our exciting new release taps into that interest and gives fans another reason to cheer," NetEnt chief product officer Simon Hammon commented.
"NetEnt’s unique game design and the fun shootout bonus game will be the perfect addition to a fantastic summer of sport.”


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© 2020 Unity Technologies
Sponsored content from Unity Technologies
With an impact that reaches into every corner of the digital landscape, one of the most overlooked factors of real-time technology is how much more accessible it is — for more creators than ever, from filmmakers, to animators, to visual thinkers — to realize your vision.
In a recent Unity Technologies webinar, titled “Empowering Storytellers with Real-time Technology”, speakers Megan O’Connor, Unity Senior Instructional Designer, and Vlad Neykov, Unity Lead Graphics Test Engineer, considered why video games have been a driving force behind the ways storytelling has changed. The immersiveness and engagement of video games — along with their interactivity and responsiveness, reacting instantly to every decision you make
— are the key ingredients that have spilled over into mainstream entertainment, education, commerce, and many other areas.
Taking it even further, game developers have been crucial in driving innovation in real-time platforms, pushing the tools of their trade beyond the edges of complex coding and into artificial intelligence, machine learning, and simulation.
Because of real-time platforms such as the Unity engine, games that used to be impossible to develop without large teams and incredibly sophisticated technical programming and scripting skills can now be handled with visual scripting by non-coders — sharing tools with the designers, artists, and even producers on their teams.
Now, these tools are accessible to creators in even more industries, who can rely on real-time platforms to achieve their goals. What’s more, they’re here now, in use every day, working across platforms and devices that audiences have access to today.
So, this year, our SIGGRAPH 2020 participation reflects the real-time revolution with a common thread: all of the sessions we’re involved with examine the ways Unity is empowering content creation — for more creators than ever.
It’s now possible for game developers to build once … and reach millions. Not everyone has a game console, or even a high-end PC, but billions have a smartphone. One game, built on Unity’s Universal Render Pipeline, can now target a much larger audience, multiple devices, and incredibly wide demographics. The “Moving Mobile Graphics” session is a technical introduction to mobile graphics, spanning the hardware/software spectrum. It explores the state of the art in authoring and rendering on mobile devices with practitioners at the forefront of their field from Arm, Roblox, and Google.
High fidelity for anyone
Creators can push the limits of photorealism, without becoming programming experts. “The Heretic” (watch it the film below) was a SIGGRAPH 2019 Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater selection and is a real-world example of what’s now possible for creative teams using Unity’s High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP). In “‘The Heretic’ short film: The Graphics technology and Artist Tools that powered it”, a small team of Unity creators discuss the features they used and the journey the team went through to create the stunning, high-fidelity visuals in the film, pushing graphics beyond the normal boundaries of hardware — using visual real-time tools.
Unity is enabling the live-event industry to reinvent itself, made possible with virtual experiences. In the wake of the global pandemic, for the first time in its 50-year history, the annual Comic-Con International convention in San Diego was cancelled and moved online. “ComicCon@home: Creating a first virtual event experience” is a panel about the creation of the ComicCon@home virtual app, with guests that include Sebastian Herscher, CEO/CTO of Parallux Inc., and Mark Murphy, principal at Whatnot?! Entertainment, Inc.
Unity is making it possible for engineers and industrial designers everywhere to innovate through virtual reality. This year’s ACM SIGGRAPH Practitioner Award is being presented to Unity’s Elizabeth Baron, who previously worked at Ford Motor Company as a visualization expert. While working for Ford, Elizabeth leveraged Unity’s technology to invent Ford’s Immersive Vehicle Environment, a VR prototyping lab that lets Ford designers walk around, sit in, and interact with 3D models of their vehicles before a physical prototype is ever made. Today, every vehicle that Ford develops goes through the Immersive Vehicle Environment before being manufactured.
These days, individuals have more power than ever to create realistic virtual experiences. “How to achieve eye-catching visuals in your AR/VR project” is a session that follows Dan Miller, senior developer advocate for XR, as he walks through Unity’s latest developments and features that are giving XR creators the power to raise the bar and deliver augmented and virtual reality experiences with stunning visuals.
Studios and people in creative industries are finding ways to use Unity as a tool to explore new business models and capture additional revenue streams. Real-time tools are vital in the new age of advertising, where it’s no longer about producing just a 30-second spot, but dozens of media assets for multiple channels and social engagement. In “Real-time animation: Create an ad campaign lightning-fast in Unity”, Zac Dixon, co-founder of animation studio IV Studio, walks through how his team members used Unity to deliver a fast-turnaround, four-spot campaign for Nike — during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
Iteration at scale
AI tools are helping creators and studios become freer to experiment, iterate and perfect at scale. “AI-Assisted Artistry with Unity ArtEngine” is a demonstration of how creative studios of any size can create content at scale with help from AI. The powerful material-creation workflows of ArtEngine, and quality-of-life enhancements made possible with AI-assisted artistry, make it possible to create endless high-quality, 3D content using an example-based workflow.
Data at scale
Overcome the most complex challenges to solving the problems of the digital future. Today, the race to an intelligent, autonomous future can be won only by those who have access to a wealth of data to train machine-learning (ML) models. But, real-world data collection comes with its own challenges, such as security and compliance. What’s more, insufficient data can also lead to a flawed and biased model. “Synthetic data: A scalable way to train your computer vision models” shows how Unity is making it possible for more people to tackle big problems, by using synthetic data that you can generate — and then use to train ML models.
Learners of all levels, even those without the means to invest in technical education, can expand their toolsets and gain in-demand skills for the jobs of the future. “Real-time Storytelling for Animators” is your first step to join the real-time animation generation. This session sets beginner artists on their way to completing our new, seven-module real-time storytelling animation course (and, of course, their first 3D animations), free on Unity Learn.
A first-time director with a vision, a common desktop workstation, and an out-of-the-box configuration can land in the pool of Official Selections at prestigious competitions. This is the case with Yibing Jiang, a first-time director whose real-time animated short film “Windup” became an official selection of the SIGGRAPH 2020 Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater. The film was made with Unity and created by a small, completely distributed global team and will premiere on 24 August alongside this year’s 27 other selections.
Groundbreaking 3D rendering is pushing the visual boundaries and interactive experience of rich environments. “Advances in Real-time Rendering in Games” digs into state-of-the-art and production-proven rendering techniques for fast, interactive rendering of complex and engaging virtual worlds of video games. Speakers for this SIGGRAPH 2020-hosted, two-part Course include experts from the makers of innovative game companies such as Infinity Ward, id, Activision, and Naughty Dog, alongside Natalya Tatarchuck, VP of graphics at Unity.
We invite you to think beyond your traditional tools, business models, audiences, and limitations, and see all the ways Unity is democratizing content creation with real-time.
Sylvio Drouin has served as Unity’s Senior Vice President of Research Labs since February 2015. From April 2010 to January 2015, Mr. Drouin served as a Strategic Advisor to Unity. Since January 2020, Mr. Drouin has served on the board of UCLA Technology Development Group, which serves as a campuswide gateway to innovation, research, and entrepreneurship. From 2012–2015, Mr. Drouin was co-founder and CEO of Bitlogica, a Silicon Valley boutique venture and innovation accelerator. From May 2009 to November 2011, Mr. Drouin served as Chief Technology Officer at Xtranormal, a company that developed a 3D storytelling tool. Mr. Drouin has authored 15 patents.